Signal for rural-delivery boxes.



- B. OLIVER. SIGNAL FOR RURAL DELIVERY BOXES. APRLIOATION FILED um: 16, 1908.

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Patented Apr. 20, 1909.

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B. OLIVER. SIGNAL FOR RURAL DELIVERY BGXES.

'APELIOATION FILED JUNE 16, 1908. 91 ,399, Patented Apr. 20, 1909;

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I 1441, 515mm;

PATENT OFFICE.

BATEMAN OLIVER, or soorrsnuae, INDIANA. t

SIGNAL non RURAL-DELIVERY BOXES.

Application filed June 16,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 20, 1909.

1908. Serial No. 438,786.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BATEMAN OLIVER, citizen of the United States, residing at Scottsburg, in the county .of Scott and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Signals for Rural-DeliveryBoxes', of which the following is a speci fication.

The present invention relates toimprovements in signals of that type which are commonly employed upon rural mail delivery boxes to indicate that mail has been deposited in the box, and the object of the invention is the provision of a signal embodying a novel construction whereby it is automatic ally thrown into an operative position as soon as the closure to the box is opened.

The invention further contemplates a signal which is simple and inexpensive in its construction and which is peculiarly designed so that it can be readily attached to boxes already in use. i t

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof and'also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and the means for effecting the result, reference is tobe had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which: t

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mail box provided with the improved signal mechanism, the signal plate being shown as lowered in full lines and as elevated in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a transversesectional view through the box, the signal plate being in a lowered position. Fig. 3 is a similar view with the signal plate in an elevated position. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through the mail box, the signal plate being shown as elevated in dotted lines and as lowered in full lines. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the guide way, stem, and signal lplate carried by the stem. Fig. 6 isa deta' view of the end of the cam arm and the weight applied thereto, the weight being shown in section and the two members being detached.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

For the purpose of illustration, the inven-- tion is shown as applied to a mailbox 1 which is of the type commonly employed upon rural delivery routes. One end of this box is provided with a swinging closure 2, the lower end of the closure being pivoted tothe box,

While the upper end carries a finger piece 3 adapted to engage a spring arm 4 to hold the closure in a closed position. Both the finger piece 3 and the spring arm 4 are perforated for the reception of a lock or like member, should it for any reason be found desirable to lock the box. A vertical guide-way 5 is secured to the exterior ofthe box upon one side thereof and slidably mounted within this guide-way is a stem 6, the upper end of which is extended laterally to form an arm 7 which projects over the top of the box. Pivotally mounted u on this arm 7 is a signal plate 8, the lower e ge of which is curved rearwardly, as indicated at S -'When the stem 6 is lowered to the limit of its downward'movement, the signal plate 8 lies flat upon the top of the box, while when the stem is raised to the limit of its upward movement, the signal plate is elevated and assumes a position at a slight angle to the vertical. When in this position the plate indicates that mail has been deposited in the box and as soon as the mail has been removed and it is desired to again throw the signal into inoperative position, it is merely necessary to forcibly lower the stem 6, the curved edge 8 of the signal plate sliding rearwardly upon the top of the box to permit of the signal plate being loweredso as to lie flatup'on the top of the box. The lower end of the stem 6 is returned upon itself to provide a spring arm 9 which also extends through the guide-way 5, the ring 10 being located at the junction of the stem and spring arm for engaging the lower end of the guide-way and limiting the upward movement of the stem. An off-set portion 9f is provided at an intermediate point in the length of the returned arm 9 and as soon as the stem 6 has been raised to cause the signal plate to assume an operative position, this off-set portion 9 springs outwardly over the top of the guide-way. It will be observed, however, that this off-set is inclined so that as soon as force is applied to the stem for lowering the same the spring arm 9 will be moved inwardly owing to the cam action between the inclined off-set and the upper end of theguide-way. The upper extremity of the returned arm 9 is formed with a hook portion 11 Which is designed to engage a cam arm 12 secured to theclosure 2 of the box. When this closure is swung outwardly the cam arm 12 has a sliding engagement with thehook portion 11 of the spring arm 9 and operates to raise-the stem 6 and throw the signal plate into an operative position, the inclined off-set 9 serving to prevent accidental lowering of the stem. The extremity of the cam arm 12 is hooked at 12 and detachably engages a weight 13 which describing the weight 13, it will be observed that a notch or slot 14 is formed in one corner thereof and a pin 14 extends across an intermediate portion of the slot. When the weight 13 is applied to the cam arm12, the

hooked portion 12 of the cam arm is received within the slot 14 and engages the pin 14. When it is desired to remove this weight it is merely necessary to turn the same upwardly and then draw the hooked end of the arm out of the slot.

The stem 6 is normally lowered to the limit of its downward movement with the signal plate 8 lying fiat upon the top of the box. However, when the carrier opens the box for the purpose 'of depositing mail therein, the cam arm 12 uponthe closure 2 engages the hook 11 and moves the stem 6 upwardly to the limit of its upward movement and thereby elevates the plate 8 and causes the same to assume a position at a slight angle to the vertical. 1n this manner the signal is automatically set without requiring any special manipulation on the part of the carrier, which latter is objectionable under certainconditions, as when the box is covered with snow and the gloves of the carrier would become wet so as to render the sorting of mail difficult. As soon as the mail has been removed from the box it ismerely necessary, as has been previously described, to forcibly lower the stem 6, the plate 8 being thereby caused tolie fiat upon the top of the box and the inclined ofi-set 9 being sprung inwardly out of engagement with the top of the guideway.

1t will be observed that the outer end of the lateral arm 7 is extended laterally at 7 to prevent the signal plate from being blown over by the wind when it is elevated or being lifted by the wind when it is lowered against the top of the box. In the use of the box it is designed to mount thesame with the open end in an elevated position and with the body portion of the boxat an angle of about fifteen or twenty degrees to the horizontal. The rain will then be carried to the rear end it is merely necessary to open the closure 2 and thrust the mail into the box, the swinging of the closure in the opening of the-box serving to set the signal and the weight serving to again close the box.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. The combination of a box, a stem slidably mounted upon one side of the box and provided with a lateral arm which extends over the top of the box, a signal plate pendent from the lateral arm and designed to lie flat upon the box when the stem is lowered and to assume a substantially vertical posi tion when the stem is raised, and means for moving thestem.

2. The combination of a box, a guideway upon the box, a stem slidably mounted upon the guideway and having one end thereof returned to provide a spring arm which is also received within the guideway, the said spring arm being provided with an offset portion for engagement with the guideway to hold the stem in a redetermined position, and a signal carried y the stem.

' 3. The combination of a box, a closure for the box, a stem slidably mounted upon one side of the box and provided with a lateral arm which extends over the top of the box, a signal plate pendent from the lateral arm and designed to lie flat upon the box when the stem is lowered and to assume a substani tially vertical position when the stem is raised, and means controlled by the closure for moving the stem toactuate the signal.

4. The combination of a box, and a closure for the box, a stem slidably mounted upon one side of the box and provided with a .at eral armextending over the top thereof, a signal plate pivotally mounted upon the lateral arm and having the lower edge thereof curved outwardly, the signal plate being designed to lie flat upon the top of the box when the stem is lowered and to assume a position at a slight angle to the vertical with the curved edge thereof in engagement with the box when the stem is raised, and means eontrolled by the closure for elevating the stem.

5.. The combination of a box, a closure for the box, a guide-way upon the box, a stem slidably mounted upon the guide-way, a signal carried by the stem, as )ring arm carried by the stem and also slidab y mounted upon the guide-way, the spring arm being provided with an offset for cooperation with the guide-way to hold the stem in a predetermined position, and means controlled by the closure for moving thestem to actuate the signal.

6. The combination of a box, a closure for the box, a guide-way upon the box, a stem slidably mounted upon the guide-way, a signal carried by the stem, a hook member carried by the stem, and a cam arm secured to the closure and engaging the hook member to move the stem and throw the signal into an operative position when the box is opened.

7. The combination of a box, a closure for the box, a guide-way upon the box, a stem slidably mounted upon the guide-way and having the lower end thereof returned to provide a spring arm which is also received within the guide-way, the said spring arm being provided with an oil-set portion for engagement with the guide-way to hold the stem in a predetermined position, a signal carried by the stem, a hook member at the end of the returned spring arm, and a cam arm secured to the closure for engagement with said hook member to move the stem and actuate the signal when the box is o ened.

8. The combination 0 a box, a closure for thebox, aguide-way upon one side of the box, a stem slidably mounted within the guideway and provided with a lateral arm extending over the top of the-box, a signal plate loosely connected to the laterally extending arm and having the lower edge thereof curved outwardly, said signal plate lying flat upon the top of the box with the stem lowered and assuming a position at a slight angle to the vertical with the curved edge thereof in engagement with the box when the stem is elevated, a spring arm projecting upwardly from the lower end of the stem and passing through the guideway, the said s ring arm being formed with an ofl-set whic engages the guide-way to hold the stem in an elevated position, a hook member carried by the spring arm, and a cam arm secured to the closure for engagement with the hook member to elevate the stem when the box is opened.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BATEMAN OLIVER. Witnesses:

Jos. P. WILLIAMS, LYMAN CLARK. 

